Molasses dinner rolls are delicious, reminding you of the bread often served at popular steakhouses. You can recreate these rolls in the comfort of your own kitchen, using everyday ingredients. Molasses dinner rolls can be made with or without eggs, and are a delectable accompaniment to any meal.

Ingredients

Traditional Molasses Dinner Rolls

4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1 egg

2 tablespoons butter, softened

¼ cup honey

3 tablespoons molasses

2 tablespoons baking cocoa

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup brown sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

Eggless Molasses Dinner Rolls

1 1/3 cups warm water

4 tablespoons butter, softened

½ cup honey

2 ¾ cups bread flour

1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon powdered caramel color

2 ½ teaspoons instant yeast

1 cup cornmeal, for coating the rolls

Steps

Method1

Making Traditional Molasses Dinner Rolls

1

Combine the yeast and water. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, combine 4 teaspoons of active dry yeast with 1 cup of warm water. Let the yeast and warm water rest for approximately 10 minutes.[1]

The yeast and water should appear foamy after ten minutes; if it doesn't, the yeast is dead and you will need to start over with fresh yeast.

If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a hand mixer and mix these ingredients for 1 minute on medium speed.

3

Switch your mixer attachments. Take a spatula and scrape down the dough from the sides of the bowl. Then remove the paddle attachment from your stand mixer. Next, attach the bread hook attachment to your stand mixer.

4

Gradually add the whole wheat flour. Begin by adding 1 cup of whole wheat flour to the bowl. Mix on low until this first cup of whole wheat flour is completely combined. Then, gradually add the remaining cup of whole wheat flour until the dough begins leaving the sides of your mixer bowl. Continue mixing on low for 7-10 minutes.[3]

If you don’t own a stand mixer, you can use an electric hand mixer instead.

5

Place the dough on a floured surface. Lightly sprinkle flour on a work surface, such as your kitchen counter. Then, gently remove the dough from the mixer bowl. Lay the dough down on the prepared work surface.

6

Knead the dough. Once you’ve placed the dough on the floured work surface, it is time to knead it. Use your hands and knead the dough 4-5 times. As you knead the dough, shape it into a ball that is tight and smooth.

7

Let the dough rise. Once you’ve kneaded and shaped the dough into a tight, smooth ball, return it to the mixer bowl. Cover the mixer bowl with plastic wrap. Move the bowl to a warm place. Let the dough rise for 60-90 minutes until it has doubled.[4]

8

Make the rolls and let them rise. After the dough has doubled, punch it down. Then shape the dough into 16 rolls. Place the rolls in a 9x13 baking pan that has been greased with canola oil. Cover the baking pan. Allow the rolls to rise for 60 minutes in a warm place. They should be puffed up by this time.[5]

9

Preheat the oven. While the rolls are rising, you will need to preheat your oven. Turn your oven on to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or 176 degrees Celsius, and allow it to preheat as the rolls rise.

10

Bake the rolls. Once the rolls have risen and puffed up, it is time to bake them. Place the baking pan of rolls in the preheated oven. Bake the rolls for 22 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or 176 degrees Celsius. Remove from the oven, cool on a cooling rack, and enjoy![6]

Mix the ingredients. Place the paddle attachment on your stand mixer. Mix the dough on low until combined. This should take about 1-2 minutes. Scrape the dough from the sides of the mixer bowl, and replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook attachment. Continue mixing until you have formed dough that is smooth, yet slightly sticky.[8]

3

Let the dough rise. Remove the bowl of dough from your stand mixer and cover the bowl. Place the bowl of dough in a warm, but not hot, place. Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour. The dough will not double in size. It should, however, be slightly puffy after 1 hour.

4

Shape the rolls. After allowing the dough to rise for an hour, divide it into rolls. You should separate the dough into 10 separate rolls. Then shape each individual roll into an oval that is 6 inches by 2 inches, or 15 ¼ centimeters by 5 centimeters.

5

Coat the rolls. Take 1 cup of cornmeal and place it in a medium sized bowl. Then take each individual roll and place it in the bowl of cornmeal. Use your hands to lightly coat each roll. Place each coated roll on a lightly greased baking sheet.

6

Allow the rolls to rise. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap. Move the baking sheet of rolls to a warm place. Allow the rolls to rise for 90-120 minutes. The rolls will become puffy. You will know they are ready to bake when you gently press your finger into a roll and the indentation rebounds very slowly.[9]

7

Preheat the oven. Near the end of the rolls’ rising time, you will preheat your oven. Turn your oven on to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or 176 degrees Celsius. This is the temperature at which you will bake your rolls.

8

Bake the rolls. Remove the plastic wrap from the baking sheet of rolls. Place the baking sheet in your preheated oven. Bake the rolls for 24 minutes. The bottoms of the rolls will be slightly browned when they are done. Remove the rolls, cool the rolls on a cooling rack, and enjoy![10]